Automobile-door-opening device



N. J. DEL'OHI.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR OPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 13, I919.

0 r m I NQ m Km AN WW v I d AH a m J 6 fi N. 1. DELOHI.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR OPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13,1919.

" "1,338,560. Patented Apr 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- TEFI IJ T Un ts;

.Z-kUTOM fiyplimtion filefs Eebrnarcy 18, 1912!. i

T0 (:56 103mm 2'25 may vom'vm Be it; ki'ion'n that ii, .L"\l\'lElUlii Si-l. Uniioiiii, a citizen of the United tiifinfies. residing at Pitchie,in. the county of Will lUHl llitzi'te of lllinois, have invented certainnew and H iintoniolnlo-iFour--' :inl' Improvements in Opening Do-viuos,of which the i'oiimvin it a' speciii union.

The present invention mmpiehomls orally illlPl'OVQIilQi'lilS in thin;(Jiiifirj oif ini'mp tiions known as closni'e opo atom, more pin" ticnhi'ly to an automobile door opening do vice.

This invention has for one of in; (wh m-t5 to provide A (iQViCj of theabove mentioned ('hni'iictoi ilosigi nwi to ho associated will. tho:zitch of iho door of zin'nuiomobihn prof ornbiy taxi-(ninthiifiiOHSiilC'ii, or 'iili lilioytho main operating handle Doing;pimitionwl near tho chnnii'nniwho mnv' opon the (lUU'i to re 3!?5\iiihoni, loamnns iiho (looi inn his soul, \i'hilo iii the Mini: may heopenil b the i in the usual mnnnoy, the i-omponont pin-n; oi thomvvlmnism being so i'oln'tcii that ihn main operating lninillo \vili beinactive \i'hvn "bho (lOUl holding: mechanism is iilfii'llmllf, autu-:iliori.

Another object of the ini'c-ntion is to pro-.

.'i(iQ A device of the abovo inoinionwl (immuntuiwherein vlnfixrh 11minsoi novol oonsirno tion ioi'lns 2i part of the operating 3I'n(fll2=ULSYII and noi'n'mlly 2H3.'il1i,lil in inni-tivo poi tion to poi-nutperson to open iho looi' without moving tho main operating mocha.- nism.while at tho some time the mm moans is movable into vozn-iivo rohibionWl'i'li) tho i'onuiining parts o'i' inm'lmnism io permit thei-hziuii'oni' or or to open or close the (lOHl' without leaving his;went.

The invention clearly iihl mile-1! in tho accompanying drawings inWhich- Figure l is; n top plan i'ivw oi tho im-- proved door opening:ilm'ico uppliwi to an automobile, zi portion oi which only is shown,

Fig. 2 is 21 side ohrmtion showing (ho lovim: :ippliml. the (lUOl'boing; wimwn in (.flOf-KAi position,

Fig. 3 ii; an enlarged tiwnirii'oi'sn i-zovtionnl detail when on lino 3-13 oil Fig. 1'

Fig. 4 is an onlzirn'oil i'izin'inoniiuijv (iniilil partly in svi-iioniI l1 ).;ii tho vonnow tion of i'ho sii'iiionni'y an in anal (he loonowin. with the I'UUlicl alnii' or ro l,-

ii tho (hm winpw-i in .i n portion 0. till automobilo is shown con.Hiiifll, along: this il is of i iiinonninn U1 toxin-ab tho boil 5)! rzibnihiln monininil on iii!) body and opoi'z'zblo in) n :2 poini noni' ihoiiiii l' b'i sent and mi onaiioil v; 1 Gum's-5, iEl inn improved. doorwaniszn. 'l ho 1:: pi nnnilia which tho (looi' oloso l ow oi? :i("11Sl'i1.1' I; ittzn-hoil now? th s lino nilg o oi ;,ho (loom whilesliihiblo tlioi'oin is e: ll\i. li bohi -i op i'niing v-iiiiin :i,lac-0pm 5 on l'ho (inning 3, :mil. hold ihl supported in projoi-imiposition by \iliinl, minim :iiliill on a coiled iron-- h. tho onih; oi\\'ill!'il info so y in tini fOtpfl' and to n, .i wi'i'ivnl position toiii o and oi iho lili't'l) bolt. in Lin: ilooiin 'l'ho (customary w minm'miluil lihi'o h both :inii hns pi'oiovl'iimj liliii'ii- Al ban""whioh if; opoi'zihiy ()plil'iiilff;

normziil hoiils from n LOO fcrmed with laterally extending spacedhorizontal ears 1.6 preferably positioned near the upper and lower edgesof the opening in the bracket, while swingingly mounted for horizontalmovement between the ears, pref erably at a point medially of its ends,is an arm 17 to the outer end of which the opposite end of the link llis pivoted. The inner portion 18 of the arm 17 is positioned between theinner a d outer walls of the door 2 and is free to swing forwardly to alimited extent owing to a laterally extend ing lug 19 which is integralwith one side thereof and designed to contzurt'with the outer wall ofthe door 2 when the member 17 has been moved a certain predetermineddistance, for a purpose that will presently appear, while movement inthe opposite direction is also limited by another lateral lug '20 whichextends oppositely to the lug 1t) and prevents for 21rd movement of thearm 1? beyond a certain point, theconstruction be ing apparent byreference to Fig. A lever 21 is swingingly mounted by means of a pintle22 relative to the inner wall of the door 2 the lower end of the leverlying in proximity to the inner portion 18 of the horizontally swingingarms 17, while the upper portion of the lever 21 has connected theretoone end of a connecting rod 23, the opposite end of which is ope ablyconnected as at 24 to the upper portion of the bar 25. By thisconstruction a person desiring to enter or leave the cab grasps eitherof the knobs on the shank 8 for rotating or rocking the shank so thatthe biflircated bar which is operably arrznged about the dependingportion 10 of the bar 25 retracts the latch bolt 4 against the tensionof the spring (5. This action moves the connecting bar 23 rearwardly,causing the lower portion of the lever 21 to swing forwardly but willnot act against the portion its of the lever 17.

The manually operable mechanism which is positioned near the front seatto be conveniently manipulated by the chauffeur, consists of a.transverse shaft 26 journaled in bearings 27 and has rising therefrom ahandle lever 28. An arm 29 is carried by the shaft and depends therefromand extends 1 1 a direction opposite to the substantially verticallydisposed lever 28, while the lower end of the arm has connected theretoone end of a connecting bar 30 the opposite end of which is operativelyassociated with improved mechanism designed to coact with a verticalshaft 11, when the handle lever 28 is moved forwardly, to swing the arm13 connected to the shaft as well as the lever 17, which is connectedwith the arm 13, rear- Wardly causing the inner portion of the lever 17to move forwardly to act against the lever 21 for the retracting of thecatch bolt 4, the lug l9 engaging the outer wall of the door immediatelysubsequent to the swinging of the lever or arm 21, to limit the movementof the lever 17 and thus exert a pull on the door for the openingthereof.

The mechanism between the rod- 8() and the shaft 11 consists of an arm32 the inner end of which is keyed to the lower projecting end of theshaft 11, another arm 33 having its inner end bifurcated and looselyarranged about the shaft 11 so that the bifurcated portions 34*. arepositioned above and below the keyed inner end of the shaft 11 as shownin Fig. t, while the outer end of the arm 33 is connected as at 35 tothe rear end of the connecting rod 30. The for aid face of the arm 33 ispositioned normally in uxtaposed relation with the face of the arm 32 sothat when pulled forwardly, owing to the contacting relation with thearm 32 which is rigid upon the shaft 11, a rotation of the shaft 11 iseffected for the ope *ation of the catch mechanism. An automaticallyoperable clutch or catch, generally designated by the numeral 36, ispivoted intermediate its ends at 38 on the bar 33 for coacting withthebar 32, being normally disengaged from the latter but adapted toengage the bar 32 upon the forward swinging of the bar 5-33, to insurethe closing of the door when the handle lever 28 is moved rearwardly.This catch or clutch 36 is designed to be automatically disengaged fromthe bar 32 immediately preparatory to the final closing movement of thedoor, so that either one of the knobs may be engaged for rotating theshank 8 for subsequent opening of the door or closing of the samewithout moving the chauffeurs operating mechanism from a set position.The member 36 is enlarged medially of its ends and provided withtransverse openings 37 therethrough for the disposition of the member 36about the bar 33, while suitable means such as a pin 38, passes throughthe enlargement and also through the bar for pivotally connecting themember to the bar. A lip 39 is formed on one edge of the clutch member36 and designed to coact with the adjacent beveled end 40 of the bar 32,and for automatically controlling the position of the member 36,contractile coiled springs 41 are employed and connected to therespective ends of the member 36, while the opposite ends of the springsare connected to a tension controlling element designated as a whole bythe numeral 42. This element 42 is constructed in T-shaped form andincludes a shank 43, extending from the member 42 intermediate its ends.The springs 41 are connected to the outer ends of the member 42 thelatter being piv oted at 4-5 at the point of juncture of the shanktherewith to the bar 33, preferably between the point of connection ofthe bar and the door. The inner portion of the shank 43 is enlarged inrectangular form 01. 4. a person (1% m1 Wit a mt op :11) pa mi howwant,that. when the IUJJnntimMy 0per- .1 ongzwc the arm Of AU. 2 Fail: ct-()DELQCUECL uni? i-lmsimz 1) i rearwn HQ in :1 lip 57 Gm game in helatch he door 9 0mm 3% and projects 1011 in act against opening a closednormnl posit 7 &0 that its shm v and, set clutvh n'mmbm v i but will beby means 01'? a is uaiion within if-m unjacon; face n'i be nmde'in the;cons wring; 4A; being); 1; "m5; frm'n the prim:

5 the hm 33 Y. 0 m sacrificing any 1? 075 the spring -H. the tension 0?I 5;; Mauri ew1the invention, thamt'i 1 1104511134,? V f 1 P53 fifiw redto be. pivot tn l I 1&1, i5 1*- 56 actin Man with a swingh'lg door fliedlatch bolt 0r i' 1 mad, of

am 31m (X00? and ham Emit the 39 n1 ensru are/1110 Yard swi':

. tch imit, mm. a mes-ms for actuaiiing said "ch bolt is first 'rdea edioved into opgn position. inn 'WiiLh a, body ha v5 mg; a and a swinging(1001', of a :nmii lamb 330% for rule: 5263? closed means for i'eizrm"M1 and digging the, (i001? the (10min of ":14: mm? Miro tachedrelatively to said door and including a laterally directed terminaladapted to engage the bolt and hold it in retracted position while thedoor is open, and means car'- ried by the resilient member adapted to beengaged by the body adjacent the doorway opening to disengage theresilient member from the latch bolt and release the same when the dooris closed.

3. The combination with a swinging rear door of a motor vehicle slidablyand resiliently mounted catch means for releasably holding the doorclosed, of manually operable means on the door for releasing the catchmeans for opening the door, vertical shafts journaled on the body of thevehicle operably connected with the door and the catch means so thatwhen the shaft is rocked the catch means will be released and. the doorswung open, manually operable actuating means mounted near the frontseat of the vehicle and on the vehicle body, a connecting rod associatedtherewith and an op e able connection between the rod and the shaft,said connecting means including an arm rigid with the shaft, another armloose on the shaft but connected with. the connection rod and springtensioned automatically adjustable clutch means on the loose arm andpositioned so as to permit of the swingin of the rigid arm and theactuating means on the door is operated but is movable to engage therigid arm upon the operation of the last mentioned actuating means nearthe front seat of the vehicle.

4. The combination with a swinging rear door of an automobile andslidable and resiliently mounted catch meansfor relcasably holding thedoor closed, of manually operable actuating means on the door associatedwith the catch means for actiu'iting the catch means for the opening ofthe door, vertically disposed shafts operably mounted on the automobile, an operable connection between the shaft and the door andmanually operable actuating means mounted near the front seat of theautomobile and operably connected with the shaft for rocking the shaftso as to release the catch means and open the door but being normallyarranged in a position so as to be inactive when the first mentionedactuating means is operated for opening the door.

5. The combination with a swinging rear door of a motor vehicle,slid-ably and resiliently mounted catch means for releasably' holdingthe door closed, of an arm connected to the catch means, a lever mountedin the door and operably connected with the arm, a horizontally swingingarm mounted in the door, a vertically disposed. rockably mounted shafton the vehicle operably connected with the arm, a rigid arm projectingfrom the shaft, manually operable means on the door and associatedwitl'i. the arm on the catch means for actuating the catch means inopening the door, and other manually oper ating means on the vehiclecoi'isisting of an. actuating lever near the front seat of the vehicle,a, connecting rod associated therewith, another arm ha ving its innerend loosely ar- 'anged about the shaft and the oiiter end associatedwith the connecting rod, spring tensioned automatically controlled meanson the loose arm movable to engage the adjacent rigid arm when the lastmentioned actuating lever is operated for opening the door but normallydisengaged from the rigid arm to permit of the operation of the firstmentioned actuating; means without moving the last mentioned actuatingmeans from a set position.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature hereto.

NICHOLAS J DEE/9H1.

